People throw away 6-pack rings. Then they get tangled around the bodies of turtles, fish, birds, and other animals. They can maim or strangle those helpless creatures.

The Saltwater Brewery of Delray Beach, Florida was founded by and for surfers, fishermen, and other people who love the sea. They wanted to make sure that their 6-packs of beer help rather than hurt marine life. So they worked with the ad agency We Believers to develop a 6-pack ring that is edible.

The 3d printed 6-pack rings are made of byproducts of the brewing process, including wheat and barley, that are biodegradable and edible by marine life. And if no one nibbles at it, it simply dissolves, freeing any creature trapped inside. Discover magazine reports:

The company 3-D printed a test batch of 500 holders in April, according to AdvertisingAge, and it plans to scale up production to meet its current output of 400,000 cans of beer a month. While the edible holders are more expensive to make, Saltwater Brewery wants set an example for other beer producers and encourage them to adopt the idea. They say if their edible holders become commonplace, they could potentially be as cheap as the regular plastic rings.